Bible Strands
Jeremiah 40:8
they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Military commanders and their troops arrive at Mizpah to report to Gedaliah after hearing he was appointed by the Babylonian king to govern the remaining Judeans. They come as a unified group to acknowledge the new local administration.
The words — וַיָּבֹאוּ (va-yavo'u) translates literally as "and they came," marking the decisive movement of the leaders. אֶל־ (el-) functions as the directional preposition "to," establishing Mizpah as the specific destination of their gathering.
The thread — The same commanders reappear in Jeremiah 42:1 when they seek prophetic direction regarding their survival. The designation "son of the Maacathite" connects Jezaniah to the northern territories documented in Deuteronomy 3:14 and Joshua 12:5.
Why it lands — The passage records the formal submission of armed groups to Gedaliah, outlining the immediate political structure of the post-destruction remnant. It requires the reader to note the transition from scattered flight to organized, Babylonian-tolerated local governance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 42:1 Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached
- Deuteronomy 3:14 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day.
- Joshua 12:5 He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob.
- 2 Samuel 10:8 The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
- 2 Samuel 23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
- Ezra 2:22 the men of Netophah, 56;
- Nehemiah 7:26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
- Jeremiah 40:6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.
- Jeremiah 42:8 and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.